Five dramatic political coups in recent British history

From Purnell’s plot to the curry house coup, May and Corbyn are by no means the first modern-day leaders to face mutinies

Brown, Blair
Then PM Tony Blair allegedly staged a ‘reverse coup’ against Gordon Brown in 2004 to deny him the top job
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Parliament has reconvened following a six-week recess, but Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have had little respite from party infighting, backbench grumblings and open hostility over the summer.

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